Book excerpt: I have always dreamed of writing a very special cookbook that will reflect the food of my native island, filled with recipes that are as unique as their history. Simple to make and easy to understand with ingredients accesible in any grocery store, I also wanted to include useful information on the Carribbean ingredients used in the recipes, a little bit of history, and inspirational quotes to ponder while cooking. I wanted to make your cooking experience as if your kitchen were located in the tropical island of Puerto Rico. The food of my island is a blend of Spanish, Indian, European, and African ingredients. This food has a very unique taste with plenty of flavor and zest. This uniqueness of our food is one of the best reasons to make this cookbook a part of your collection. Tropical Cooking Made Easy gives you the origin of the island cuisine, the hows and wheres of the ingredients used in all of the recipes, illustrative photos, information on herbs and condiments, definitions, item name pronounciation, a section that describes in detail food items with their scientific names and nutritional and natural values. The easy to use index makes the recipes easy to find. Each recipe is well organized, easy to read, easy to follow, easy to make...No confusing abbreviations. Instructions are numbered so that you can avoid errors in preparation. Each recipe includes tricks of the trade and traditional solutions that clarify preparation instructions. Try our Pigeon Peas Rice (Arroz con Gandules), Galician Broth (Caldo Gallego), Paella, Spanish-Style Pork Roast (Lechon Asado), Plononos, Spanish-Style Steak with Onions (Biftec Encebollado), and Spanish Custard. I invite you to browse the pagesof Tropical Cooking Made Easy to meet a new world of island cuisine!